Biblical Obedience: Love + Trust + Action
圣经所讲的顺服：爱+相信+行动
Jan 25, 2017
“If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15 NIV).
“你们若爱我，就会遵守我的命令。”（约14:15 和合本修订版）
We’re all familiar with the Christmas story. But have you ever stopped to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes? Here was a guy who found out his fiancée was pregnant, claiming she was visited by an angel and told she’s carrying God’s baby. And she wanted him to believe her!
大家很了解圣诞节的故事。但是你是否让自己站在约瑟的立场上呢？那个人发现自己未婚妻怀孕，并且声称有天使来告诉她怀的是上帝的孩子。而且她希望约瑟能够相信她！
In an instant Joseph’s whole world was turned upside down. This was not the way his life was supposed to turn out. It just didn’t make any sense.
在那个瞬间，约瑟的世界崩溃了。这可不是他妻子应该发生的事情。这说不通。
Do you know the feeling? Maybe your finances suddenly take a turn for the worse, or layoffs are looming at work, or you’ve just received news of a health crisis in your family. How are you going to handle it? What do you do when things in your life don’t make sense?
你知道这种感觉吗？也许你的财务状况突然变糟，或者可能被裁员，或者你刚刚了解到你的家人身体出了问题。你会怎么去处理它呢？当你生活中出现这些说不通的事情的时候你会怎么做呢？
Joseph chose to do what God said to do, and it changed everything. He decided to obey God even though he didn’t understand what was happening.
约瑟选择做出上帝让他做的，一切就都改变了。他决定顺服神即使他不能理解发生的事情。
Today, the word obey has a negative connotation. We view obedience as a forced, unwilling decision to do something we don’t want to do because we’re afraid of punishment.
今天，“顺服”这个词有一种消极的含义。我们看待顺服像是一个被强迫、不情愿的决定，因为我们惧怕惩罚，所以要去做那些我们不想要做的事情。
But that’s not the kind of obedience that’s in God’s Word. Obedience in the Bible means this: love + trust + action.
但是这并不是圣经中所讲的顺服。圣经中的顺服是：爱+相信+行动。
It starts with love, as Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love me, keep my commands” (NIV). Obedience comes from knowing that God loves you and you love him in return.
它是从爱发出，就如同耶稣在约翰福音14：15所说：“你们若爱我，就会遵守我的命令”（和合本修订版）。顺服来自认识上帝对你的爱，以及你对他回报的爱。
A lot of people think obedience is about fearing God, but God wants us to see obedience to him as a relationship of love. And out of love comes trust. If you trust what God is saying to you and you believe that he loves you, then that will lead to action.
许多人认为顺服是惧怕上帝，但是上帝希望我们看到，顺服他就像一个爱的关系那样。爱带来相信。如果你相信上帝对你说的，你相信他爱你，那你就会跟着他的指引去行。
You need to have all three, because action without love is just rote religion. And love without action is just mere talk.
这三点你都需要，因为没有爱的行动只是一个形式化的宗教。没有行动的爱也只是夸夸其谈。
Joseph was able to accept what Mary and the angel told him because of his relationship with God. He knew God loved him, and he loved God. He trusted God and made the choice to do what God asked him to do. And because of that, Joseph’s life is still impacting lives today.
约瑟可以接受玛利亚对他说的那些关于天使所讲的话，因为他与上帝有关系。他知道上帝爱他，并且他也爱上帝。他相信上帝并且选择去做上帝要求他做的。正因为此，约瑟的生命影响至今。
Talk It Over
讨论问题
How have you experienced the benefits of obeying God in the small things of life?
如何在生命中的小事上经历因着顺服上帝带来的益处？
How can you model with your kids your relationship to God that is driven by love and leads to obedience?
如果在你的孩子面前做一个榜样，与上帝建立关系并且因着爱顺服上帝的带领?
Why is trust so important in a love relationship?
为什么相信对于一个关系中的爱是如此重要？